The biggest challenge for magnetic therapy today is the market has been flooded with cheap bipolar magnets that for the most part are ineffective. Opportunistic companies have piggy backed off credible research in the 1980’s and 90’s on pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF), multipolar flexible magnets and quadrapolar magnets to sell common bipolar magnets to an unsuspecting public.
Often times the very research these companies use for promotion bring into question the effectiveness of the bipolar magnets they sell. This demonstrates that neither they nor their customers really understand what the scientific literature is telling us about the types of magnetic fields that have a therapeutic effect.
A static magnet requires no external power source and the most powerful type used therapeutically are the neodymium rare earth magnets. Pulsed electromagnetic fields are generated by passing an electrical current through a coiled or looped wire. While there are positive studies on static bipolar magnets, clinically they are rarely used by health professionals mostly because they are very unreliable. While they might produce a positive outcome for a few patients it’s uncertain how much of this effect is placebo and how much should be attributed to the magnet or the other parts of the treatments that are usually administered.
Q magnets are a quadrapolar magnet that generates steep field gradients that can penetrate up to 4-5cm (2 inches) and have been designed and specifically manufactured based on research to produce a reliable result. They are the only static magnet we are aware of that is used by professional sports teams and health professionals such as physiotherapists (physical therapists). Physiotherapists in Australia and New Zealand are first contact practitioners which means they have much more autonomy to prescribe therapies and treatments while in the US, physical therapists have their treatments directed by the referring doctors. This is why to date, Q magnets are used more widely in Australia and New Zealand and much to the benefit of patients who are able to achieve far superior treatment outcomes and avoid long term medication and surgery that are all too often the treatment of choice by doctors.
When it comes to treating pain, nothing works 100% of the time which is true for Q magnets, which is why we offer a 30 day money back guarantee. The take home message is if you are looking for effective drug free pain relief and are exploring magnetic therapy, go to the most credible magnetic therapy site and purchase a reliable medical device.
